Newcastle are six points clear of the bottom three with eight games left to play but, with a tough fixture away to last year's champions, Manchester City, next up, Tiote is wary of dropping back into trouble.

"I think we have more work to do," the Ivorian told the Newcastle Chronicle. "You never know what can happen. The Premier League is so, so different to any other league in the world.

"Any team can win four or five games and get out of it, so that's what we will aim to do and then we will be safe."

Tiote has received five red cards and 58 yellow cards during his professional career, becoming known for his combative style, and the 26-year-old insists that he will not let an improved disciplinary record tame his approach.

"That's me," he observed. "If I change, I am not going to be the same player. I just need to keep doing my job. That is the best thing for me.

"I always enjoy playing for Newcastle. Since my first year it has been a great place for me to play and I want it to continue that way for a long time."